Consumer group Choice has referred Coles' Complete Cuisine cat food to the ACCC for alleged breaches of Australian Consumer Law.
The product was one of several to be named and shamed at the 12th Annual Choice Shonky Awards this week.
Choice said the labelling on Coles' cat food would likely trick consumers into believing the product was a “complete” cat food when, in fact, the fine print reveals the opposite.
“Pet foods labelled ‘complete’ are designed to provide a balanced diet for your dog or cat and meet the recommended nutritive requirements outlined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials,” Choice head of media Tom Godfrey said.
“Although Coles reveals the product is in fact ‘not nutritionally complete’ in the fine print on the back of the tin, we allege consumers who rely on the large ‘complete’ claim on the front of pack to feed their pet are likely to be misled.
“Feeding your feline friend Coles Complete Cuisine could cause significant problems like expensive vet bills, sickness, or worse. We think this deserves a serve of a clearly labelled 'Shonky', just for Coles.
“We have referred the product to the regulator and want to see it pulled from the shelves.”
Choice has also referred Nature’s Way (Pharmacare) Kids Smart Vita Gummies to the ACCC for potentially misleading consumers about the supplement’s health benefits for children, failing to indicate the amount of sugar in each serving, and not providing warnings about the risk of overconsumption.
Last year's award recipients included Nestle for its dubious health star rating on Milo packs, Kellogg's for its pack size reduction and price hike, and Camel Milk Victoria's claims that the $21 a litre milk product could “improve the immune system by fighting off bacteria and infections and aid those who have autism, diabetes, tuberculosis, cancer, stomach ulcers, and more".
The complete list of Shonky winners for 2017 can be found here.
